Raising Pigs for the first time

[cassie]

Sad day. She lost all of them and we had to cull her. She came from a 4h project and the vet told us that the way 4h gilts are fed their pelvises don't have time to catch up to their bodies. Something we didn't know.

We have to start all over again. The vet gave us a name of someone who raises Duroc. Hubs loves that breed. So we'll get in touch with him after all the madness is over and see if we can get a young sow so we don't have to start from scratch.

What?? I've never heard that one before. How are 4H gilts fed in your part of the world? It seems to me far more likely that your gilt just had incorrect conformation, and I seriously doubt the way she was fed had anything to do with it.

 

[mimischicksnat]

What?? I've never heard that one before. How are 4H gilts fed in your part of the world? It seems to me far more likely that your gilt just had incorrect conformation, and I seriously doubt the way she was fed had anything to do with it.

The vet said that because they are fed higher protein to get to weight that their pelvis doesn't keep up with everything else. We didn't raise it so we have no idea what it was fed before we got her. She was very narrow and he had a difficult time pulling one that was not only breach but upside down that was blocking all the others. She was a good size hog. I couldn't see any reason she should have had a problem.

 

[cassie]

If your gilt had a norrow pelvis I still say she was born with incorrect conformation and that it was not caused by what she was fed. I don't claim to be a swine expert, but over the years we have raised quite a few. We have had far more trouble keeping project hogs from getting too heavy than we ever did with getting them to make minimum weight.

 

[blondi61189]

Hi guys! I just found this thread and love it! I definitely want a couple hogs (how can you have eggs with no bacon?) but I am having the darndest time finding anyone who is selling feeder pigs....i am near reading pa but I don't mind traveling a little bit...

 

[ozexpat]

My sows are 10000miles from you.

Maybe you can contact a 4h group and find out where they get their stock

 

[ozexpat]

our original pig pen



and the new one



the farrowing pens being cold galvanized



mixing feed

 

[LAChick]

Sad day. She lost all of them and we had to cull her. She came from a 4h project and the vet told us that the way 4h gilts are fed their pelvises don't have time to catch up to their bodies. Something we didn't know.

We have to start all over again. The vet gave us a name of someone who raises Duroc. Hubs loves that breed. So we'll get in touch with him after all the madness is over and see if we can get a young sow so we don't have to start from scratch.

It has been along time since I read this thread and am now getting caught up. Sad news about the outcome of your gilt & her piglets! What has been going on?

 

[hillfloweranch]

Well I never ended up getting pigs. 2014 was depressing but I press on and think I will try a couple this year.

 

[hillfloweranch]

Meet Sweet and sour...new additions to Hillflower ranch

 

[hillfloweranch]